Visual Network is designed to assist administrators and engineers create simple network maps that include several workstations, servers, routers, switches, hubs and other components.

Simple interface with accessible options

Simplicity is one of the main characteristics of the application, which is clearly reflected by its interface. The GUI consists of a single window with just a few options and no complicated menus to deal with.

You start by adding a new object to the map using the designated button. The symbol of a workstation appears by default, but you can easily change it to a server, a router or a Web access point (WWW).

Create simple network topologies

Once you selected the desired symbol, just drag and drop it anywhere on the map, but please note that once a position is set, you cannot change it anymore. To be fair, this is actually quite frustrating, since a single mistake might force you to restart from scratch.

A simple text box appears below the symbol, enabling you to enter the desired description. By repeating these steps you can easily create a complete network map and print it directly from the application.

Useful for brief network sketches, not suitable for professionals

Please note that this application cannot automatically generate the map of your network. Unlike other similar applications, it only bundles a minimum set of devices. It can only be used to build simple topologies and it does not warn you about faulty connections.

Visual Network might be of use for those who want to create a brief sketch of their network structure to show to a team colleague or a client, but experienced penetration testers or administrators might prefer using a more feature-rich topology designer.

Visual Network was reviewed by Mihaela Citea, last updated on April 23rd, 2014